River Power

 
 

Standing on the rocks on the Virginia side of Great Falls, the rush and roar of the river roused wonder and dread. I’ve hiked along the Potomac for many years, but on this cold Sunday afternoon its power vibrated through me. I remembered a poem about a fast flowing river that had recently come through in an email—words meant to awaken courage at a time when I, and my fellow concerned citizens, definitely need it. The poem was supposedly authored by a “Hopi Elder,” and suspicious as I am about attributions on the Web, I was curious to find out about it. After a bit of digging, I found the words attributed (though not in any conclusive way) to the very real Hopi Native American leader, Thomas Banyacya, who died in 1999. During his lifetime, he worked tirelessly to preserve the traditions of indigenous cultures while speaking from ancient Hopi prophesies about the need for peace in the world and protection of the environment. This poem, presented in the form of a Hopi prophesy, bears a number of different titles. Though it has been linked to many groups and causes over the years, its message is perfectly relevant in this time of upheaval. Here is a portion of it: 

There is a river flowing now very fast.
It is so great and swift
That there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold onto the shore.
They will feel they are being pulled apart,
And will suffer greatly.

Understand that the river knows its destination.
The elders say we must let go of the shore,
Push off into the middle of the river,
Keep our eyes open and our heads above water.

And I say; see who is in there with you,
Hold fast to them and celebrate!

At this time in history,
We are to take nothing personally.
Least of all, ourselves!
For the moment we do,
Our spiritual growth and journey comes to an end.
The time of the Lone Wolf is over!

Gather yourselves!
Banish the word ‘struggle’ from your attitude and vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done,
In a sacred manner and in celebration.

We are all about to go on a journey,
We are the ones we have been waiting for!